- High school NIL
- Permitted with conditions
- High school authority
- Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA)
- High school rule
- KHSAA Bylaws 10 and 15, NIL benefit sections added for 2023-24
- High school effective
- 2023-24 school year. Kentucky was the 31st state to permit high school NIL.
- College NIL
- Permitted
- College law
- Executive Order 2021-418 (June 24, 2021), codified by Senate Bill 6 (signed March 9, 2022), expanded by Senate Bill 3 (2025)
- College effective
- Executive Order effective July 1, 2021. SB 6 signed March 9, 2022. SB 3 signed 2025.
- Paperwork
- Confirm your school's own disclosure expectations
- Penalty
- Violations may draw any penalty in Bylaw 27, up to loss of eligibility, through the KHSAA due process procedure.
Where high school NIL stands in Kentucky.
Kentucky allowed high school NIL for the 2023-24 school year by adding NIL sections to two of its bylaws. Athletes may earn money from product or business endorsements associated with their name, image, and likeness, and may be paid for working at camps and clinics, without losing amateur status.
The bylaws keep the school out of it. Athletes may not use a school's name, logo, apparel, or uniforms; may not be promised NIL benefits by anyone connected to the school; and may not receive NIL benefits based on performance. Anyone with a connection to a member school may not give or promise NIL compensation to recruit or induce an athlete to enroll.
Effective: 2023-24 school year. Kentucky was the 31st state to permit high school NIL.
What a high school athlete can and can't do.
Allowed
- ✓Product and business endorsements associated with the athlete's NIL
- ✓Paid work at camps and clinics
- ✓Paid social media content, appearances, and merchandise in the athlete's own name
Not allowed
- ×School names, logos, apparel, or uniforms in NIL activity
- ×NIL benefits promised by anyone connected to the school
- ×NIL benefits based on athletic performance
- ×Compensation given or promised by anyone connected to a member school to recruit or induce enrollment
- ×Deals that conflict with KHSAA amateurism rules
The high school checklist.
- →Read Bylaws 10 and 15 together; the NIL provisions sit inside both
- →Keep school marks and apparel out of every deal and every piece of content
- →Structure pay for the work performed, never for stats or wins
- →Confirm your school's own disclosure expectations
Agents and advisors
The KHSAA bylaws do not bar NIL representation. Kentucky regulates athlete agents under its Uniform Athlete Agents Act. MSG works with Kentucky high school athletes on NIL and brand within Bylaws 10 and 15.
Penalties
Violations may draw any penalty in Bylaw 27, up to loss of eligibility, through the KHSAA due process procedure.
College NIL in Kentucky.
Kentucky's college NIL rights began with an executive order. Governor Beshear signed Executive Order 2021-418 on June 24, 2021 so Kentucky and Louisville athletes could earn from their NIL the day the NCAA's interim policy took effect. In March 2022 the Senate unanimously passed SB 6 to replace the order with a statute and more concrete guidelines.
SB 6 protects athletes' right to NIL compensation and representation, sets disclosure and conflict rules, and gives institutions a defined role. In 2025 Governor Beshear signed SB 3, which expressly permits Kentucky institutions to pay athletes directly through revenue sharing in line with the House settlement.
Effective: Executive Order effective July 1, 2021. SB 6 signed March 9, 2022. SB 3 signed 2025.
Kentucky law: key points
- ✓NIL compensation and representation protected since July 1, 2021
- ✓SB 6 (2022) codified the executive order with statutory guidelines; SB 3 (2025) authorized direct institutional revenue sharing
- ✓Disclosure and team-contract conflict rules apply under school policy and the statute
- ✓Direct school payments permitted under the House settlement for opted-in schools
- ✓Agents must register under Kentucky's Uniform Athlete Agents Act
National framework (House settlement)
Since July 1, 2025, college NIL runs on two tracks. Third-party deals with brands and businesses remain open, and the House v. NCAA settlement now lets Division I schools that opted in pay athletes directly, capped at roughly $20.5 million per school in the first year and rising annually. State law sits on top of that framework and can add rules, but cannot take the federal settlement terms away.
- →Third-party NIL deals of $600 or more must be reported through the NIL Go clearinghouse, generally within five business days, and are reviewed for fair market value
- →Direct payments from a school count against that school's revenue-sharing cap; third-party deals do not
- →The College Sports Commission handles enforcement tied to settlement rules; the NCAA still governs eligibility
- →Every school also has its own NIL policy on disclosure, prohibited categories, and use of school marks, and it applies alongside state law
- →Federal NIL legislation has been proposed repeatedly and remains unresolved
Major Sports Group
What this means for a Kentucky athlete.
Kentucky is basketball country with a rising football profile, and Louisville and Lexington are strong local markets. The state has been open since 2023 and the college programs next door are among the most active NIL operators in the SEC.
MSG keeps Kentucky deals simple: no school marks, no school people, and pay tied to deliverables rather than performance. The bylaws are clear enough that most problems are avoidable.
Kentucky NIL FAQ.
Can high school athletes in Kentucky do NIL deals?
Yes, since the 2023-24 school year. KHSAA Bylaws 10 and 15 allow product and business endorsements and paid camp and clinic work, provided no school name, logo, apparel, or uniform is used, no one connected to the school promises the benefit, and compensation is not based on performance.
Can a Kentucky high school athlete be paid to work a camp?
Yes. The KHSAA bylaws specifically allow athletes to be paid for their work at camps and clinics.
Can a Kentucky high school athlete wear a school uniform in a sponsored post?
No. The bylaws prohibit using a school's name, logo, apparel, or uniforms in NIL activity.
Can a Kentucky high school athlete have an agent?
The KHSAA bylaws do not restrict NIL representation. Kentucky requires athlete agents to register under its Uniform Athlete Agents Act.
Can someone at my school promise me an NIL deal in Kentucky?
No. Anyone with a connection to a member school may not give or promise NIL compensation to recruit or induce an athlete to enroll, and athletes may not be promised NIL benefits by anyone connected to the school.
What is Kentucky's college NIL law?
Executive Order 2021-418, signed June 24, 2021 and effective July 1, 2021, codified and expanded by Senate Bill 6 in 2022. It protects athletes' NIL compensation and representation rights with statutory guidelines.
Can Kentucky and Louisville pay athletes directly?
Yes, for schools that opted into the House settlement, since July 1, 2025, within the revenue-sharing cap. Third-party deals remain separate and uncapped.
- What Kentucky high school athletes need to know about NIL (McBrayer, June 2026)
- KHSAA sets NIL benefits policy (10th Region, July 2023)
- KHSAA Bylaws (Kentucky Department of Education, 2026)
- Kentucky NIL law overview (Spry)
- NIL Rules in 2026: updated guide (Sportsepreneur, June 2026)
Rules change, sometimes mid-season. This page reflects the sources above as of August 2026 and is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the current position of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, your college\u2019s NIL policy, and your school before signing anything.